His brows dip, pathetically. “I hunger.”
I scoff and roll my eyes off him. “Then hunger, stupid. I’m not playing princess dress up for you.”
“What about leather dress up?”
“Ew, no.”
“Vinyl?”
I rock my glare back toward him.
His soft smile catches me off guard, and I forget my comeback before he says, “What about…one of my night shirts?”
I swallow.
He closes several inches between us, pulls my hand up to his lips, and kisses my knuckles. “Could I convince you to slip into one of them for me…and then stay here, in this room that’s unexpectedly us…all night?”
My heart skips a beat.
His smile stretches as he kisses my fingers. “Probably not…huh?”
Probablyshouldn’t, huh?
But…it’s so late. And my house is so…empty. And it’s so cold out there. And… “How?” I find myself saying.
His attention lifts, pinning my eyes. “How?”
“How…when you couldn’t even brush my hair on your bed…do you think we’re going to be able to share one?”
His smile fades as his eyes widen.
Heat grazes his cheeks, and I know I’m looking at a reflection of my own face.
“Morana…that’s…not ano.”
“I know.” My voice quakes. “I know it isn’t.” Breath trembles into my lungs. “Butifthe last thing I want to do tonight is drive home in the cold and the dark and find myself fighting not to crymyself to sleep alone in a silent house all by myself…can I trust you won’t make me regret telling you that truth?”
He swallows, looks at me, and squeezes my hand. “Can I trust you won’t kiss me?”
I glance at his lips, remember their taste, and pull myself together. “Yes.”
He lifts his free hand to my cheek and slips his fingers into my hair. Half tortured, he whispers a low, “All right.”
“All right?” I echo.
“I will do everything in my power to make sure you don’t regret trusting me.” Running his fingers out of my hair, he smiles. “Let’s get you ready for bed, beautiful, so that we may christen our new room with its first slumber…together.”
Together.
I guess I really haven’t outgrown any of the bad decisions that controlled me in high school, but maybe—just maybe—I can hope that my accomplices have.
Chapter 14
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Cotton candy dreams.
Kyran
